Taking Advantage of Walmart’s Education Benefits For Career Growth
Ti-Quan Woodley didn’t always plan on being a project manager. In fact, after years of working in retail operations, he was looking for a change. When he applied to Walmart, they shared an opportunity that would change his career trajectory.
“Years ago, Walmart reviewed my resume and thought I would be a good fit for a retail operations position. After I started, I realized I love project management and found my career path.”
Since then, Ti-Quan has taken every opportunity to grow in his role, including taking advantage of Walmart’s education benefits. After looking through Walmart’s education program catalog, he found the Project Management Program with Agile.
How Learning Paved The Way To A Promotion
“I was working in stock planning as a field assistant manager and was looking to build up my project management knowledge. I knew learning new skills could help me further advance my career and get promoted. After reviewing the curriculum, I decided to enroll because the project management program could help me achieve my professional goals.”
Ti-Quan was promoted to Realty Project Lead (similar to a senior project manager) while enrolled in the program.
“I have been a project manager for eight years, and I already have a lot of project management skills. The program taught me new tools like Asana and how to build Gantt charts, but what surprised me was the people skills I picked up. The program teaches you how to delegate responsibilities amongst your team to execute projects. You also learn how to communicate with your team to ensure a project remains on track and address conflicts should they arise. I definitely will apply those skills in my new role.”
Ti-Quan’s Learning Experience
The Project Management Program with Agile is a 24-week online program that students can finish at a flexible pace. Each course delivers lessons through various digital mediums to teach students about the foundations of project management and demonstrate skills. Pathstream also incorporates hands-on labs for students to practice and improve their new skills. Ti-Quan found the flexibility of the program key to a successful learning experience and shared tips for other students who work in industries similar to his.
“I try to find balance by making a plan to study. I find a little quiet space and devote my time to the program. You don’t need to cram everything into one weekend. Create a schedule, spread out the work, and stick to it. Don’t give up easily or walk away and say you’ll come back. Invest in finishing each module.”
Since being promoted has decided to use this experience to help prepare him to pass the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam.
“I don’t finish the program until June, but I would like to take the PMP® certification exam. I want to continue to grow my career with Walmart. To advance to the next level, I need to be certified. So, that’s what I am preparing for.”
Ti-Quan also had advice for his fellow Walmart coworkers:
“Many employers offer education programs, but Walmart goes beyond. They covered 100% of the program costs. So strike-wide, better yourself, and advance your career. Look at the Pathstream programs offered to you and go for it.”
Does your employer cover Pathstream’s certificate programs?
Are you ready to follow in Ti-Quan’s footsteps and transform your career through learning? Whether you aim to excel in project management or any other discipline, our certificate programs are designed to provide you with the knowledge and hands-on skills to reach your goals. Check with your employer about education benefits – you might just find that the keys to your career advancement are already in your hands.
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